Getty Jamaal Williams on the field before a 2022 game against New England.
The Detroit Lions have one of the top offenses in the NFL, but the way it sputtered in Week 5, nobody would have known that.
Detroit sputtered in a big way against the New England Patriots and did not get in the end zone or get any points. That was a frustrating reality for the team, and it wasn’t good enough for the players on that side of the ball.
Running back Jamaal Williams wants everyone to know that the game may have been a blip, and is unacceptable thanks to the high standard that the team now has for themselves on that side of the football.
Speaking to the media on Monday, October 10, Williams said that the standard is high for the Lions, and specifically the offense.
“It’s just football, but at the same time, we have a high standard now. We know what type of offense we are and what we can do and I feel like we’ve been doing a great job these first four weeks. It’s only one bad game from us I feel that we could have (done better),” Williams said.
As Williams revealed, the standard is high, and the terrible game isn’t going to be something that brings the Lions down in the future.
“I feel like this is the worst we played so far this season on offense, but at the same time, we know what we can do and we know our standards and this is nothing. It’s just one week. It doesn’t determine the whole season, so we’ll come back and bounce back after the bye week,” he said.
Bouncing back is a huge goal, and the team has to find a way to get over the hump and be better on offense. Williams knows it may start with mindset first and foremost overall.
Williams: Lions Must Keep Working
As most folks know, Williams is very passionate about winning, as was shown on Hard Knocks when he spoke in colorful terms about the 2021 record and season.
Given where things are at, what does Williams feel about where things are now? As he said, it’s time to work.
“We know we have the talent, but at the same time, the talent’s got to work like we want to so I feel we just gotta go back to work and put in the real work,” Williams said. “Sometimes, it’s just the little things on how we’re working so close. I feel like we have a lot of talent and we should have won a lot of these games that we lost, but you know, it’s only week five. When we come back for week six, that’s when we just gotta turn it over and start it out but it only starts with one week. Starts with getting one win and then going from there, so we just got to stay with that mentality of just having a tunnel vision of next week or week six when that time comes.”
As Williams said, he’s planning on leading by example as always to keep folks on the same path.
“I’ll be one of them to to step up and be a leader of making sure I keep everybody on the same path of us trying to get this record going but first, we just got to start with week six and getting that dub,” he said.
If the Lions could just find a way to net one more win, it would go a long way toward getting things back on the right track for the future the rest of the year.
Williams Leading By Example With Touchdowns
In terms of his own play, Williams is leading by example easily. There’s been nobody more productive on the ground this season in terms of touchdowns, which has allowed Williams to make some NFL history not seen in over a decade.
This past week, Williams tied LaDainian Tomlinson for the most multi-touchdown games in the first four weeks of an NFL season, something that was pointed out by Bleacher Report and the Lions PR team.
Jamaal Williams is the first NFL player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to register three multi-rushing touchdown games in the first four games of a season.
Williams so far today: 16 rush, 104 yards, 2 TD.
H/T @LionsPR
“Jamaal Williams is the first NFL player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to register three multi-rushing touchdown games in the first four games of a season,” the site tweeted.
In terms of Lions history, Williams has also gotten busy as well. He tied Barry Sanders for having multiple rushing touchdown games early in a season.
Jamaal Williams has multiple Rush TD for the 3rd time this season.
That’s the most in a single season by a Lions player since Barry Sanders in 1997 (also 3).
“Jamaal Williams has multiple Rush TD for the 3rd time this season. That’s the most in a single season by a Lions player since Barry Sanders in 1997 (also 3),” the site tweeted.
Any way you slice it, Williams has been solid, durable and is even a history maker. While it wasn’t good enough for the Lions in Week 5, the hope is the team can bounce back and be led by their tough running back in a turnaround.
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